Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-20
COESE&EN.
BY BLAKELY HALL.
TUopyri0hted ISL


Early one September morning a stray
4. " of the sun slipped around the corner
4 a. hi0 warehouse, and stealing over q
1 of musty rag that had been thrust into
H. Of the upper windows Of Cherry
i roat.tenement house, fell holly on the
Il no of a man who was sleeping within
SDo room. 1t was brutal face. The
A,rI;rht crept with the hardness of re-
suenance over the puffy, discolored
shepks. the sunken eyes, stubble-bearded
ID and half-open mouth, with its pro-
4uding tusks. The man was partially
i ressed. and his hard-featured wife, who
H. by his side on the straw pallet. had
bearded nothing but her shawl when
H. had retired the night before.
Il In another corner two girls slumbered
spaeefuly and three children lay
$crswling on some old clothes near the
roye. In the middle Of the mean and
Spualid room lay can with the stains of
seer on the floor near it. Flies buzzed
bout. The air was sitting.
The sun b'lrned in the purple hollows Of
H. mans ewes until he moved uneasily,
I'D then, suddenly waking, sat up and
HAIRED savagely around. His eyes fell on
4 IA crippled form Of a wan-faced boy
Saeplng beside the stove, and selling one
n his bOb-nailed boots he sent it whizZing
GROSS the room. 1t struck the child.
Il i'm a sharp cry he struggled to his
Sneps and began hastily to strap on an
srtiticial leg, sending up string OF shrill-
Snced curses the while. Then he stopped
wearing abruptly and began to whimper
II be asked:
u "Wha'dy' wan, fadderr
ITO marnin' Loaf, y twisted brat.
buick! Git out of here"
The bow BALI Strengthened his curved
lack. grabbed his clothes In his skinny lit
BE hands and stumbled and hoped out of
be room. In the passage below he
flashed his face in the moldy sink,
Brushed back his long, black hair with
lis grimy hands, clothed his crooked
trm, aud presently went limping off to-
3ard neighboring b9 ker's shop with the
5Orn4rs of his mouth drawn down.
4 "Shure, Corkey," said the bakers wife,
dipping a tart into the hand of the Grip
Ned 10.year-old along with the loaf
\ bread. "yer's whites a flour sieve this
lOrDin'."
"It's me leg, Mrs. Murphy" said the
Bd deity stealing another tart as the
fOman turned away. st alters hurts me
fhen put iton fust."
He went limping back, clasping his
Crippled leg with his hand but smiling
5raftily over his shoulder at the bakers
bop as he munched the stolen tart.
He was a New York boy, born in the
lums, reared amid penury, want and dis
fess, with pitiful physique, an inva-
! DIS face and the shrewd sportive and
booking nature of hundred thousand
4 his fe!low-children of the gutter.
kVen at that early hour there were many
n mis- playmates about. One of them
Fas sitting on coal box, looking up to-
fard the eighth story or the gloomy
poElng tenement across the way. where
candle still f1ickered in one of the VIM
lows.
"Git onto de light up in Wilder Gro
pans room, Corkey," said the lad on the
pal box with delighted grin.
WHATS it furr
Fur Mrs. GrOgan's daughter Mol,
Ehat wint off wild de .pick-i-nick OF de-
eocpashun of Perfeck Gents of de Fort
ard Yesterday mornin' an and amt got
|ack yit. De ole woman's bin waitin'
night fur her. She links MOlPs
|rowned."
The sharp face OF the cripple lighted
r. and limping hurriedly into the mid
4 e OF the street, be screamed with such
Eflllness and excitement that the win
|oW9 al! about were peopled in an
fstant:
BTo-gn."
is, ytsD' cried the old woman throw
up her window and leaning out with
'stenoed eyes, pale face and streaming
ray hair, "W hat is it?"
ITO eat brick y tarrier!"
men Corkey with final and triumph
'po snrlek went in to join his family at